Piggy Bank Vacation

The idea of Piggy Bank Vacations is to do just like when you were a kid. Save up and set aside the money for that sparkly hoola hoop that you really wanted. Saving up for a vacation fund should work the same way. It also should also have a piggy bank price. Try not to put the whole thing on credit cards and then spend an average of $200month for the next year paying it off. Here are four areas of savings to plan a piggy bank vacation.

Start by getting in the right frame of mine. What really matters when planning a family get-away? Vacations are a great time to create memories (hopefully joy filled ones) and to re-new your spirit. That's the goal, so keep that in mind when planning your next vacation. Have a vacation planning meeting with your family and make a list of the goals for the vacation. Things like; have fun together, learn a new skill, overcome a fear, discover something new, and gain a greater appreciation for something or someone. On your way back from your vacation go over this list and see if you accomplished your family goals. These lists also make great scrapbook entries for either your scrapbooks or to spread the joy and give a mini photo book to the family members you visited on your vacation.

1) Save on Lodging

-The most expensive parts of a vacation are the transportation and the lodging. So start by trying to keep your vacation closer to home. Log onto your local visitor's bureau and plan a vacation close to home. Visit a historical sight, or go to a traveling show.

-If you venture too far to travel back to your own comfy beds, look into staying with a friend or relative in another town.

-The other source of lower cost lodging is to rent directly from a condo or lodge owner. We personally have owned and rented out our beach front property for over three years through a website called; www.vrbo.com Vacation Rentals By Owner. You will typically save anywhere from 20%-50% off the local hotel prices. The owner will usually charge you a one time cleaning fee, local vacation tax (this can be up to 11%), and the rent per night. In addition they will probably take a refundable security deposit to hold your spot. They will also usually require the rent amount in advance of checking in. They will also give you a lock box code to get your keys when you arrive. We kept a small black lock box hooked to the railing in front of our condo. We would give out the code along with an e-mail attachment with check out procedures. We also e-mailed interested renters our standard rental agreement which spelled out the rent amount and terms of the rental.

There is a certain amount of trust involved in this system, but it really does work well if you are willing to take the risk. The VRBO listing includes the phone numbers of the owners so you can call them and gain some comfort level before renting.

-Stay overnight for free. If your trip does require overnight accommodations consider low cost or FREE lodging in someones' home or in a bed-n-breakfast. Try a free homestay. Check out www.digsville.com Homestays offer lodging accommodations in someone's primary or secondary home. Sometimes there is a requirement to reciprocate by sharing your guest room with a traveler. Some folks swear by this travel method and really like that it often provides a better sense of the local people and culture. You can also often avoid tourist traps this way and get better local advice on where to eat well on a budget.

2) Save on transportation

Packing up the family car is of course the best way to save on transportation.

However, if flying is the only way to go, then the secret is to shop, shop, shop airline tickets. Also, the further in advance you can confirm your dates the better.

Once you are on your trip, the other way to save on airline tickets is to be willing to come home later than planned by offering to be bumped if the flight is overbooked. You will still make it home, but with free tickets for the next vacation.

Another way to save on airline tickets is with points. However, there is usually always a hidden cost involved like spending thousands on credit cards. This only works if you pay off your credit cards and are debt free. OR, if your spouse gets points from traveling free at work. Then the points really are free and you should use them immediately!

3) Save on the sights

-Check with museum websites for free admission days

- Check your local paper for discounts and specials

- Ask your librarian if they have any discounts available

- Research any discounts available through any clubs you are in such as an auto club.

4) Save on Food

-Look up and print off restaurant coupons for both the road stops and for eating at your vacation destination. You can also check with the visitor's bureau website for your destination location to find current deals and coupons.

Another way to save on money (and time) on food for your road trips, bring your own rest stop picnic. We make PB and J's (of course) the night before and freeze them along with frozen string cheese. The next day we throw these in a cooler with some drinks and by the time we get to a rest stop, our picnic is thawed and ready to eat.